8th Annual Travers Ethics Conference: A Report on 2004

by Alison Gash

This year's 8th Annual Travers Conference on Ethics and Government Accountability, called "Media, Democracy, and the Informed Citizen" was held on April 30, 2004, dealt with the timely topic of ethics in the media. Experts such as Jay Harris (USC), John Zaller (UCLA), Darry Sragow (Public Strategies), and Peter Breslow (National Public Radio) gave inspiring presentations on the topics of media sources, political reporting, and coverage of the war in Iraq.

After inspiring introductory remarks by benefactor Charles T. Travers, keynote speaker Jay T. Harris, the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Journalism and Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, USC, explored the interrelationship between the media and the "informed citizen." In his closing remarks he commended IGS for "talking…about the right thing at the right time." The first round of panelists, facilitated by Berkeley's Shannon Stimson, discussed how media resources impact information processing. UCLA's Douglas Kellner explored the manipulative impact of the media "spectacle" and implored participants to "seek out the best news sources" to mitigate its effect. John Zaller discussed the tension between the media's need to meet public demand and provide accurate information. He warned media critics to be cognizant of the constraints on the press. Sandy Close, executive director of Pacific News Service, highlighted the importance of the "ethnic media" and reminded participants that ethnic media sources are an invaluable information resource to many of the nation's communities.

The panel on media and campaigns was kicked off by Lance Bennett, professor of Political Science and Communication at University of Washington, who demonstrated that the press, by focusing on insignificant and negative quirks of political candidates, can render candidates unelectable in the eyes of the electorate. Bennett's presentation launched a lively debate between journalist Michael Finnegan and political consultant Darry Sragow. Finnegan argued vehemently that the press presents important facts about which the electorate should be aware. Using the example of Howard Dean's "anger management" troubles, Sragow asserted that Dean had exhibited anger control problems long before the press picked up on it and had made a serious mistake by not hiring a Director of Communications. The debate continued into other topics including the role of alternative news sources, how competition among media sources impacts campaign coverage, and how the excessive coverage of presidential elections impinges access to other important stories.

Panelists discussing media coverage of the war debated the current news coverage of Iraq. NPR's Peter Breslow described his experience as a reporter being parachuted into "a situation that is chaotic and trying to figure out what is truth." He stressed the importance of having a person on the ground who can help translate and facilitate introductions. Mark Danner, staff writer at the New Yorker, asserted that good reporters have provided an incomplete story of the war in Iraq leading the public to indecision. La Repubblica's Federico Rampini described the coverage of Iraq in two phases: 9/11 through the fall of Hussein's statue and the events after the fall. He believes that the US coverage of Iraq has provided readers with an image of a "sanitized war." European coverage, he argued, "offered a broader range of collateral damage." Debra Saunders, of the San Francisco Chronicle, defended the press's coverage of Iraq, disagreed that the European press could do a better job of covering "American issues" and argued that critics do not like the current coverage because they do not agree with the war.

To learn more about the Travers Ethics Conferences, visit: http://ethics.berkeley.edu.